Taming a Wild Rose
by MsMacBeth10
Summary: I have never beaten Scorpius Malfoy. Not once. But, this year, I've formed a plan. To become friends with Malfoy, even if it's the last thing I do, because that'll mean I've finally beaten him in something, right...?
1. Chapter 1

Scorpius Malfoy is the perfect example of a perfect boyfriend. I'm positive that if every other boy at Hogwarts acted the way Malfoy does, he will decline in popularity. All the better for me.

I mean, he's blond (not that being blond had to do with anything), he's practically a genius—even _I _only rank second compared to him—he's gorgeous (okay, fine, I admit that he's not bad-looking, but 'gorgeous' is a term every other girl at Hogwarts has dubbed him with), and he's flawless in general. Then there's that attitude of his that I just _can't stand_. He's arrogant, pratty, smug—the list can go on and on and on.

And why am I spending a wonderful, perfectly Malfoy-free summer afternoon thinking about Scorpius Malfoy of all people? It's because he's my enemy. Er, that wasn't a very good excuse, but…oh, never mind.

Sighing, I rolled onto my side and hugged my pillow close to my chest.

He's my enemy. The feeling's mutual. But sometimes I can't help but think about him.

Too engrossed in my own thoughts, I didn't notice the owl outside my window until it started tapping my window obnoxiously. I frowned at the owl—it wasn't one that I recognized—got up, and opened the window for him. "Did you really have to interrupt my Malfoy-thinking time?" I grumbled in annoyance.

The owl blinked at me incredulously. I had no idea our…hatred had a reputation even among owls. "Don't worry," I reassured the owl, feeling rather silly that I was speaking to an _owl_ about my relationship with Malfoy. "I was only thinking negative things about Malfoy, if that's what you're worried about."

The tawny owl hooted in satisfaction, and I rolled my eyes as I untied the letter from his leg. My fingers trembled when I saw that the letter was from Hogwarts. The owl gave me another hoot, then took off into the sky. I watched him leave, thinking that no doubt he was planning on reporting my Malfoy-thinking habit to his friends. I hated the thought of giving the owl something to gloat about. My relationship with Malfoy is not something that an owl should be interested in. If it was, it would be just...creepy.

I shrugged. What owls discussed was not my business (I can only hope that the owl will leave me in peace). I briefly wondered what owls discussed on a daily basis. Well, it might be better that I didn't know. What _was _my business was the letter in my hand, and so, without further ado, I opened it.

And screamed.

Almost at once, I heard thundering footsteps before my door burst open. My dad, none other than the famous Ron Weasley, stood slightly awkwardly in front of the door. "Rosie?" He demanded, "Is something wrong?"

"D-Dad," I choked out, holding the letter for him to take, "I…I'm Head Girl." After six years of hard work, the hard work has finally paid off.

For a moment, my father could only stare at me with his mouth wide open.

"What's all the fuss about?" My mother, Hermione, appeared in the doorway beside Dad, holding Hugo by the hand.

"Our Rosie is Head Girl," Dad announced, waving the letter in my mother's face. Mum beamed at me with her eyes filled with happiness. I expected her to cry tears of joy or something, and I was very glad when she didn't. I never was a fan of my family being emotional. "This calls for a celebration! Let's eat out!"

Hugo grinned with anticipation. "Excellent!" He said. Mom gave him a stern look, and he added hastily, "Not that I hate your cooking, Mum."

"Well, Hugo," I said dryly, "You should try aiming for Head Boy in two years, and you can eat out then."

"Speaking of Head Boy..." Dad added, "I wonder who..."

I groaned inwardly. If I had worked _this _hard to earn my Head Girl badge, clearly the Head Boy would be—

"Scorpius Malfoy," Mum said darkly, sharing my thoughts. "It's not a question, Ronald. It's a fact."

"Great," I muttered sarcastically, "That fact just made my life a whole lot better."

Dad patted me on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Rosie. I'll make sure he doesn't bother you. We can talk more later, but I'm starving now. Let's go to that fancy restaurant in Diagon Alley that recently opened! I've always wanted to try it."

I exchanged a glance with Mom. "If you say so," Mum said quietly, following my father out of my room.

It didn't take us long to Floo to Diagon Alley, and Dad eagerly led us to the newly opened restaurant. I had a feeling he must've been here before, or else he wouldn't know that there _was _a restaurant here. "_Witch Potion_," I read the name of the restaurant out loud. "What kind of name is that?"

"A very good name, if you ask me," Dad answered, despite my question being rhetorical. "It's like a pun, for 'which'. And the potion is a reference to the excellent soup that's served there." He launched into a detailed explanation, telling us how he spoke to the restaurant's owner, and blah blah blah. My dad was a big fan of food.

"All your talking is making me hungry," Hugo complained. "C'mon, let's go already!" Without waiting for my parents, he marched into the restaurant. The rest of us had no choice but to follow, but my father was obviously the most excited to go in. I walked in more hesitantly after my mother, and I had a strange feeling that something was going to happen.

My father and Hugo were already seated at a table for four, and I sat down across from Dad. From my position, it was perfect to get a look at the other diners at the restaurant, and my stomach did a backflip when I saw a strikingly familiar blond head at a table not far from ours.

_It's not Malfoy_, I tried telling myself, _There's tons of blond people out there. You're just overreacting_.

I attempted to push all thoughts of Malfoy to the back of my head—this is _my _celebration, after all, and it wouldn't do me any good if Malfoy occupied my mind the entire time. But the more I studied the blond head, the more I thought it looked like Malfoy's blond head. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore, and I _had _to see whether it was really Malfoy or not. I hurriedly excused myself from the table, told my parents that I'd be right back, and made my way toward the Malfoy-like person.

Said person turned his head, and my heart sank when I saw that, indeed, he _was _Malfoy. "Well, well, who would expect that I would see _you _here, Weasley?" His parents frowned at me, and I frowned back at them. I found myself locked in a staring contest with Malfoy's father. It was nerve-wracking, to say the least.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, getting straight to the point. Malfoy senior finally pulled his gaze away, and I felt my entire body relax.

"What are _you _doing here?" Malfoy returned amicably. I couldn't believe my ears. Malfoy, being friendly? Then again, his parents were here, and he was no doubt on his best behavior for them. I wrinkled my nose. So Malfoy was Daddy's boy, huh?

I know what I said next was childish, but I couldn't help myself. "I asked you first," I insisted.

Malfoy gestured to the plates of food in front of him. "Eating," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Well? Why are _you_ here, Weasley? Surely you redheads don't have the money to afford the food here?"

I clenched my hand into a fist. I longed to punch him, but I knew that it would only bring trouble. Why does the world have to be so hard on me? I gritted my teeth as I replied, "_Well_, Malfoy, I'm Head Girl, and my parents thought it would be a good idea to celebrate." I don't know why I told him everything. It felt...right.

He reached into his pocket and produced something. "What a coincidence," he drawled, waving the something that looked suspiciously like a Head badge in my face, "_I'm _Head Boy."

Despite my mother telling us the sad truth beforehand, Malfoy being Head Boy smacked me in the face. Both figuratively, _and_ literally, because while waving the badge in my face, his hand came in contact with my nose. It wasn't a hard hit, but it did hurt, and I sprang backwards and rubbed my nose, carefully inspecting any damage.

"Oops," he mused, not sounding sorry at all, "I...miscalculated the distance there a little."

"Malfoy, making a mistake?" I shot back. I _knew _he did it on purpose, but there was no way I could prove it, especially with his parents staring at us curiously. "That's a first."

By now, my parents had realized that it was taking me quite a long time to return. They did a very smart thing: they sent Hugo to investigate. If my father encountered Malfoy's parents...

"Rosie!" Hugo's voice rang out. "We're ordering!"

A part of me wanted to stay and argue with Malfoy some more, but the food-loving part of me (thanks to Dad) dragged my feet away from the Malfoys' table and back to my own. I heard Malfoy call out lazily from behind, "Listening to your little brother, are we? I feel so sorry for you, _Rosie_."

I wanted desperately to say, "What do you know, Malfoy? You don't even _have _a sibling!", but I bit my lip and followed Hugo back to my seat, sending nasty glares back at Malfoy as I walked. He simply smirked at me (Merlin, I _hate _his smirk!) and turned his attention back to his food. I had an urge to poison it.

It appeared that my parents had already ordered without me, and I was forced to eat whatever my dad had picked. "Sorry, Rosie," Dad apologized between mouthfuls, "You were taking too long, and I couldn't wait any longer."

"Yes, what _was _taking you so long?" Mum pressed, neatly wiping her mouth with a napkin. Compared to her, Dad's eating made him look like a wild boar.

Lying never worked on my mother, and my cousins constantly reminded me that I was awful at lying. I said truthfully, "Ran into Malfoy. You were right, Mom. He _is _Head Boy."

Mum shot a look at Dad that read, "_I told you so_!"

Dad, being Dad, ignored her and continued wolfing down dinner.

"I'm sure it won't be that bad," Mum said to me, regarding the Malfoy-is-Head-Boy issue. "All you have to do is attend Head meetings, go on rounds, and schedule things once in a while. Thank Merlin you won't have to live together or anything."

I shuddered at the thought. "That sounds bad enough," I muttered.

"If he says or does anything suspicious, let me know at once," Dad ordered. "I'll have a word with him, the slimy little git."

Malfoy was a lot of things, but slimy little git was not one of them. He was as clean as a clean person can be. In fact, he probably showered every five minutes or something.

"Malfoy is _not_ slimy," I objected. "He's a git, yes, but definitely not slimy or little." He's almost a head taller than me.

"You were probably mistaking him with Severus Snape, dear," Mum said pointedly. "You should show the dead some respect."

"Oh, right, sorry," Dad mumbled, taking the chance to stuff his mouth full so he wouldn't have to speak.

I took a sip of the French onion soup that Dad had taken the liberty to order for me. "Hey, this is pretty good!"

Dad shot me a look that copied Mom's "_I told you so_!"

"Ron! I would never expect to see you here!" an all too familiar voice exclaimed. We turned to find Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny, together with James, Al and Lily lurking behind them.

"Al!" I greeted my (favorite) cousin cheerfully.

"We're meeting all sorts of familiar people here, aren't we?" Hugo asked loudly. I shot him a warning look, but unfortunately, Uncle Harry had heard him.

Not bothering to wait for my invitation, Al squeezed in beside me. I almost fell off my chair.

"What familiar people?" Uncle Harry asked.

"Malfoy, for one," Hugo said, holding up a finger.

Aunt Ginny exchanged a glance with my uncle. "Malfoy? What's he doing here?"

"Celebrating," I spat, "for getting Head Boy."

"But Rosie here's Head Girl!" Dad piped up, eager to share the news with the rest of our too-large family. "She'll not only keep the entire body of Hogwarts in control, she'll watch Malfoy, too!"

"Hold on a minute," I said quickly, "Since when did we come to that agreement? That I'll keep an eye on Malfoy?"

Dad smiled. "Since now!"

Aunt Ginny flashed me a smile, too. "Head Girl, Rosie? Congratulations!"

"Er, thanks," I said, overwhelmed by the fussing.

"She'll have to work with Malfoy," Al reminded his parents. "I'm sorry, Rosie. If I had worked harder and earned the Head Boy postion, you'll never have to suffer being around Malfoy."

I made a face at him, but I could never stay angry at Al. Besides, I wasn't even angry at him to begin with. "So now you're saying you should've worked harder, eh?" I joked. "What about the times when I asked you to study, and all you did was play Exploding Snap with James there?" I pointed at James, who immediately began mumbling about how it was rude to point at other people. Lily stomped on his foot, causing him to yelp and jump into the air.

Al looked so guilty that I almost felt bad for him.

"It's too late now," I went on. "Don't worry, I'll survive this...somehow."

"That doesn't sound very promising," Al pointed out.

James wandered over and squeezed in beside me on the other side. I felt like the meat between two burger buns. He wrapped an arm over my shoulders and asked, "So, how's my lovely cousin doing these days? Missing me?"

"I do not miss you, or your pranks," I sniffed. James had finally graduated from Hogwarts (thank Merlin), and I no longer had to scold him on a daily basis for pranking poor, unsuspecting students.

"But you have to admit that James's pranks are the best," Al put in.

I shot him an annoyed glare. "He does use some very advanced magic, I'll give you that," I agreed grudgingly, "but I still think he should put the effort somewhere else. Like being an Auror, for example."

Aunt Ginny nodded to me, her eyes flashing with respect.

"Working at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes is better than being an Auror any day," James objected.

I held up my hands in defeat. "Fine, James, do what you want. I give up."

James stood up and bowed mockingly. "Thank you for giving me an opportunity to follow my own dreams, Miss Rose," he said solemnly. I smacked him on his arm in response. I heard James's stomach rumble.

"We can go for a walk together after dinner," Uncle Harry suggested, no doubt hearing James's stomach. "How does that sound?"

"Great!" Al said enthusiastically. He got up, too, and began following his family to their table. "See you later, Rosie!" He waved to me.

Only then did I feel a prickling sensation, as though someone was staring at me. I looked around, and that was when my eyes met the familiar gray ones of Malfoy's. There was a challenge in his eyes, one that screamed that he was going to be a better Head than me.

I stared at him defiantly and mouthed, "Challenge accepted."

I was sure that then, when we exchanged the glance, was how I made the animosity between us even worse. I welcomed the challenge. We hated each other, and perhaps that hate is what fueled my need to study and work so hard.

But, deep down, I had a feeling that, one day, I was going to regret accepting his challenge...

* * *

**Disclaimer: I am no JK Rowling. Therefore, I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Whew. that is my longest chapter yet. (Another new Scorose story idea.. ah. I have a feeling I won't be updating _I'm In Love With a Weasley _for a while. But in the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy this new story!)**

**So... review? Reviews definitely help me update faster ;) **


	2. Chapter 2

"Rosie!" Lucy Weasley, yet another cousin of mine, greeted me. "Head Girl, eh? Congratulations!"

"Hi, Luce! And, thanks!" I greeted her back, waving at her. Yup. That's how people greeted me nowadays. They would always congratulate me for getting Head Girl, and I would politely thank them. To tell the truth, I was tired of this.

Lucy was in the same year as Hugo (fifth year). I can already imagine the two of them begging me to help them study for O.W.L.s... I cringed, secretly hoping that she'd find a Ravenclaw boyfriend to torture—er, to help her. While I was thinking these thoughts, Lucy turned to chat with my brother. I gladly left them alone.

With some difficulty, I began dragging my trunk toward the _Hogwarts Express_. My trunk, being my trunk, was filled with all sorts of books, from required Hogwarts course books to famous Muggle romance novels. In short, it made my trunk exceptionally heavy. I grunted with effort, and groaned in dismay when I saw that I would have to lift the trunk onto the train.

It was hard enough pulling it around, but carrying it?

As I stood there, pondering what to do (I was tired of asking my family for help, and especially now that James and some of my other cousins have left Hogwarts, there were fewer of them that could help me), an all too familiar voice drawled, "Need a hand, Weasley?"

I spun around to see none other than my archenemy, Scorpius Malfoy. He already had pinned his Head Boy badge onto his shirt. I raised an eyebrow when I noticed that the top two buttons on his shirt were unbuttoned, revealing a little more of his...chest than the average person would allow. "Ahem," I coughed, gesturing to his shirt, "You're Head Boy, aren't you? Show the dress code some respect."

"Oh, but you like it, don't you, Weasley? At least, normal girls would like it," Malfoy said smugly. Thanks to my Weasley genes, my face flushed bright red. Even my ears.

I bit back a retort. Malfoy was clearly looking for a chance to argue with me, and I wasn't going to give him a chance so easily. I knew very well that he was implying that I wasn't a normal girl, but Malfoy's opinion of me is the last thing I was worried about.

"Scorpius! What are you doing, talking to Weasley? What happened to our alone time?" A girl pouted, practically pouncing on Malfoy. Oh, great. We haven't arrived at Hogwarts yet, and Malfoy's already found himself a date? That was a first. He must be trying to break his own record—like there was a point to that. I scoffed and began dragging my trunk again. "Well, there's your answer," I snapped. "I don't need your help, Malfoy. I can manage perfectly well on my own. Go spend some..._alone time _with your new girlfriend. Just keep in mind that we have a meeting with the prefects in a few minutes. Don't be late."

I didn't give him a chance to answer, but, as I summoned all the strength I could muster and lifted my trunk onto the train, I noticed that he properly buttoned up the unbuttoned buttons on his shirt.

Huh.

And, he got to the prefect meeting first.

How in Merlin's name could he have entered the prefect compartment first _and _had spent alone time with his new girlfriend? It's just another Malfoy mystery that I'll never be able to solve.

"What were you saying, about me being late? Who's the last one now?" Malfoy asked me when I, slightly out of breath, joined the prefects in the compartment.

"Don't be silly," I growled, "Just because _you_ were early doesn't mean that _I_ am late."

The other prefects shifted nervously, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for them. If I had to listen to two people argue, and had to decide between whether I should break up the argument and get hexed, or to leave them alone, no doubt I'll choose the second option, no matter how much I would suffer as a result.

Malfoy opened his mouth, clearly about to say something in defense, then shrugged and shifted his focus to the prefects instead. "As you must have figured out by now, I am Head Boy, and Weasley over there is Head Girl. Since most of you have been prefects before, there's no doubt that you know what your duties are. To those that are new, you may dock points, but you cannot assign detentions. That is, ah, mostly _my _job. And, unfortunately, Weasley's. But mostly mine.

"Moving on...You'll have to patrol the corridors at night to make sure no student is out prowling after curfew. That's what you'll be doing on the _Hogwarts Express_, too. Here are your patrol schedules, which I have kindly created for you. If you have any problems, feel free to see me. Not Weasley. She'll be too busy sticking her nose in books. On that happy note, you are all dismissed." He passed out the schedules, waved the prefects away, and smirked at me.

I could only stare at him with my mouth open. How _dare_ Malfoy take over the meeting? He didn't even give me a chance to speak! Not to mention the insult he slipped in...He must've planned it out beforehand.

"You wanted to leave as soon as possible, didn't you?" He asked unexpectedly, breaking me out of my thoughts. "I cut the meeting short. So, go do whatever you have to. I have my own business that I must attend to, too. Later, Weasley."

I remained frozen. How could he have known that I wanted to leave? Why would he do that just to help me? It was crazy. He's my enemy! There's no way he would help me do _anything_. He must've just wanted to get away from me as fast as possible so he could go and resume a snogging session with yet another girl.

Yes, that _has _to be it.

"Bloody Malfoy," I muttered under my breath. In my head, I went over all the possible curses that I could use on him. That helped me calm down a little. He's just so _infuriating_!

I took a quick stroll down the train aisles, deemed that everyone was behaving, and joined Al in the last train compartment. He was having a debate with Lorcan Scamander about whether Tweezles existed.

"They do exist! I've seen them!" Lorcan was insisting as I sat down beside Al.

"Do you have any proof?" Al snorted in response. He then saw that I had finished the meeting, and called cheerfully,"Hi, Rosie! How did the prefect meeting go?"

I groaned. "Don't even mention it. Malfoy practically took over, and he didn't even give me a chance to say anything! That stupid git."

Al patted my arm sympathetically while Lorcan launched into another scientific speech, "Did you know that 'git' is named after gittavers? They're nasty things. One bite, and the venom will make your head explode."

"I think you're talking about studying, mate," Al cut in. "One look at a book, and your head will explode with too much information."

Despite being a book-loving person, I burst out laughing. Lorcan frowned thoughtfully, then said, "Well, that's because books are created with gittaver bones. Fascinating, isn't it?"

"Very," I agreed dryly. Lorcan beamed at me, mistaking my sarcasm. Both Lorcan and his brother Lysander never seemed to understand sarcasm. Not getting sarcasm must be a trait that ran in the family.

I leaned toward Al and whispered, "Remind me why we're friends with this guy again?"

"Then again, most of our family is weird," Al pointed out quietly. "I wouldn't be surprised if our close friends are weird, too."

"Good point," I said.

Now, calling a member of our extended family 'weird' is not even close to an insult. Teddy took pride in his metamorphmagus (not to mention werewolf blood). Dominique Weasley gladly accepted the fact that she had Veela blood running in her veins ("All the easier for me to get boys," she once told me serenely. "Be grateful for who you are, Rosie.")

I took her advice to heart. I no longer cared if people compared me to my extremely smart mother or to my very Weasley father.

What puzzled me the most was the fact that Malfoy never studied, yet he always did the best in _all _subjects.

Thinking about Malfoy again. I had to stop doing that if I wanted to focus...I picked a book out of my bag and began reading, hoping that the book will distract me from Malfoy. It was rather unfortunate that the book I selected just had to be _Romeo and Juliet_, and as I read through the complicated Shakespearean language, I found myself comparing myself to Juliet and Malfoy to Romeo.

Juliet: Capulet. Romeo: Montague. Me? Weasley. Malfoy? Well, Malfoy. Our families hated each other's, just like in the play. But that's where the similarities ended. Romeo and Juliet had a love-at-first-sight relationship, while Malfoy's and mine happened to be hate-at-first-sight.

Why am I comparing us to the bloody play, anyway? It's not like there's a point to it. I snapped the book shut and stowed it away, deep into my bag. Reading about Romeo and Juliet certainly didn't help me take my mind off Malfoy.

"Oh, if it isn't the Weasel and her gang," a gruff voice said. I looked up to find Greg Zabini, one of Malfoy's 'goons', and Vincent Goyle.

"What do _you _want?" I asked coolly. Al and Lorcan were alert at once, and I saw Al shift closer to me.

They exchanged a glance. "Malfoy kicked us out," said Zabini. "This is the last compartment. Get out of it so we can sit."

"Not on your life," I declared immediately. Al and Lorcan both nodded their assent.

The poor boys looked at each other again, and Goyle added, "We'll make you get out if you don't."

"You really can't do anything without Malfoy, can you?" I said. "Come on, I'll get him to let you back in his compartment. That way, you won't have to bother _us _again." Al stared at me as if I was crazy, and I probably _was _crazy from spending my past six years arguing with Malfoy. But the sooner Zabini and Goyle left, the better. I grabbed them both by their wrists and forcefully pulled them out of our compartment.

It was a lot easier than dragging my trunk.

I pulled them down the aisle, and neither of them complained. "Here we go," I announced, yanking Malfoy's compartment door open. "Oh, _please_!" I shrieked in horror.

Now I see why Malfoy kicked Zabini and Goyle out of his compartment. The same girl from earlier was lying on _top _of Malfoy, and she just couldn't keep her hands off him. Malfoy's shirt, no longer buttoned, had been thrown carelessly onto the seat across from them. The girl wasn't even wearing a _bra_.

"For Merlin's sake, put some clothes on!" I yelled. I couldn't say "Get a room," because technically they _were _in a room.

"Are you in any position to talk to me about my love life, Weasley?" Malfoy asked, pushing the girl aside so he could sit up.

"I don't _want _to talk to you about your love life," I shot back.

Malfoy lazily strode to where I was standing, and my breath caught in my throat as his face moved in, merely inches away from my own. He put a hand on my shoulder and veered me back out of his compartment. "Good. So don't interrupt me. Don't talk to me again unless the world is ending, Weasley."

I couldn't decide whether I was hurt, because he didn't want me to speak to him, or angry, because he was acting like the arrogant git he usually was and knew just how to get on my nerves, or glad, because I could finally spend the rest of my school year without interacting with him.

My shoulder stung where his hand had touched it. It's like he's a gittaver, making my head explode just by touching me.

I suddenly remembered that Zabini and Goyle were still there, and they were both looking at me expectantly, awaiting further instructions. "Here's the deal," I said, a plan forming in my mind as I spoke. "I'll let you sit in my compartment, but only _if_ you can persuade Malfoy to let you back into his compartment." I only hoped that they were stupid enough not to realize the...twist behind my deal.

"Deal accepted," Zabini said with an evil grin. Well, that was pretty quick. He probably just heard the "I'll let you sit in my compartment" part and ignored the rest. "C'mon." He beckoned to Goyle, and the two of them bustled back into Malfoy's compartment.

Malfoy had ordered me never to speak to him (unless the world ended), and I couldn't interrupt him and his girlfriend. But if Zabini and Goyle could...that would be two birds with one stone.

I stood outside the door and waited patiently. They didn't came out again. Whatever they did, it must've worked, because shortly thereafter, the girl stormed out of the compartment, rather furious. "So it _was _you," she raged, glaring at me. "I expected as much."

Well, at least she was smart, unlike some of Malfoy's previous snoggers.

"Hmm..." I hmmed as an answer.

"Don't 'hmm' me!" she grabbed me by my neck and held me up in the air, choking me. I gasped and struggled, but she was too strong. I couldn't break free.

My vision blurred.

"Lisanna!" Malfoy's voice came out of the darkness. "What are you doing? Assaulting another student...that will be ten points from Slytherin!"

"S-Scorp! I-I'm sorry! But she's the one who—" The girl, apparently named Lisanna, leapt to her own defense. I desperately wanted to bite her hand and force her to let me go, but it was impossible for me to reach her hand.

"No excuses! Let her go, now!" Malfoy's voice was sharp and demanding. I felt her grip loosen, and next thing I knew, I was dropping onto the ground...

Right into Malfoy's arms.

I didn't have time to react. He didn't give me enough time to react. He steadied me, then turned and disappeared back into his compartment without another word. I sank to my knees.

Lisanna gave me an annoyed glare before she stomped off. "Thanks to you, our relationship is ruined," I heard her complain, as she too walked away from me.

Why did I have a feeling that everyone hated me around here? What was wrong with me?

Tears began rolling down my cheeks. And I hated myself because I was crying for something that Malfoy did.

"Rosie! _There _you are! What happened? What took you so long?" Al came dashing down the hall toward me.

"Y-You don't have to worry about Zabini or Goyle coming to our compartment," I said, and managed to smile. Al, however, did not accept my pretend smile. He knew perfectly that something was wrong. He knelt down next to me and hugged me tightly.

I broke down, right then and there. In front of Malfoy's compartment. I didn't care if he heard me, and I didn't want to care. He's my enemy. That's all there is to it.

"What's wrong?" Al asked gently.

"M-Malfoy," I sobbed, not fully knowing why I was making such a big fuss about it, "told me not to speak to him again unless the world is ending...He hates me, Al. His girlfriend hates me, too. Everyone hates me..."

Al squeezed me. "That's not true," he insisted. "_I _don't hate you, Rosie. Your parents don't hate you. We're all here to support you. And...Malfoy, who cares about him? He doesn't deserve to speak to you in the first place. All you two ever do is argue, anyway, so it's a good thing he's decided not to talk to you anymore, right?"

_No_, _it's not_, I wanted to say, but I had no idea why I cared so much.

"You don't need someone like Malfoy in your life, Rosie," Al finished. "Let's go back to our compartment, shall we? I promised Lorcan a game of Exploding Snap."

"Sounds fun," I said faintly. _Al's right_, I said to myself, _You hate Malfoy, so it's a good thing you won't have to speak to him anymore, isn't it? Well, there are Head duties and all that, but we'll manage them, somehow. _

Al stood up and offered me a hand, and I gratefully took it. Of all the people I know, Al is the only one who came back for me.

No wonder he's my favorite cousin.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I am no JK Rowling. Therefore, I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Thank you all for the reviews last chapter! Here's the next! And Rose's relationship with Al is purely platonic. **

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	3. Chapter 3

From then on, I avoided not only Malfoy himself, but his girlfriends, too. And, to be honest, I was grateful for the silence between us. In fact, I was getting rather tired of our bickering, and especially with N.E.W.T.S. coming up, I needed all the time to study. But then, there are those times when I would open my mouth to comment something about him, and, catching myself, I would turn away.

"Why is my life so miserable?" I groaned aloud now, banging my head on the Potions book I was reading. Which, I learned the hard way, wasn't the best idea. Al sat next to me in the Gryffindor common room, abusing a poor chess piece.

"Your life is filled with magic, Rosie," Al argued. "Surely it can't be _that_ bad?"

He's got a point. But it's stupid, really. Sometimes, I would rather be a Muggle and not have all this magic to worry about.

Al smashed the chess piece with his fist, and immediately whipped out his wand and repaired it with a quick "_Reparo_!" My eyes followed his movements, wondering what the chess piece did to Al to deserve such treatment. Whatever it is, I decided, it wasn't pleasant.

"Al, for Merlin's sake, will you please stop abusing the poor chess piece and leave him alone? I'm trying to study here," I said at last, unable to take the unnecessary sound affects any longer. "I mean, if I don't study, I'll be even _lower _than Malfoy, and no one would want that."

"Sorry, Rosie," Al muttered, clenching the piece (a knight?) in his hand. "I'm just bored...hold on! Speaking of Malfoy, are you all right?"

Puzzled, I questioned, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, you haven't so much as _spoken_ to him since we got here! And it's impossible for you two not to fight! This is just...ridiculous! Completely pointless! You don't have a fever or anything, do you, Rosie?" Al said all of this in one long breath. "That git just said that to get to you, I'm sure. You don't have to take his words so seriously!"

I blinked. "Well, the world hasn't ended, so there isn't a reason for me to speak to him. I don't care whether he's serious about what he said, but if that's what he wants, then fine." I glanced at the clock hanging above the fireplace. "Oh, look at the time, Al. It's almost time for patrol. I'll be going now."

I didn't give him time to reply as I jumped out of my seat and pushed my way out from behind the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Oh, good, you're finally here," the Fat Lady said icily, startling me.

"Who's here?" I asked, feeling rather stupid.

The portrait gestured at me. "You, of course. Who else? That boy was threatening to keep me up all night if you didn't show up for patrol, or so he says."

There was only one boy who would act this way...

Sure enough, as I glared at the Fat Lady, a voice behind me said, "You're late, Weasley."

"What are you talking about? I'm early!" I snapped, our silence treatment forgotten.

Malfoy simply shrugged. "Next time, make sure to be here _before _me. That's what I would call early." Without waiting for a response, he turned in one direction and headed off, not bothering to ask me whether there was a certain route I'd prefer. The jerk.

"Kids these days," I heard the Fat Lady grumble as I ran after Malfoy, "He must have a pin stuck somewhere in his shoe."

Malfoy remained silent as we walked, and at long last I couldn't stand the silence anymore. "What's with you?" I growled. "Acting all prickly? Pin in your shoe?" I echoed the Fat Lady's words. Besides, I really was curious. Malfoy seemed to be in an particularly bad mood this evening. He didn't answer me, and I was sorry I asked anything at all.

We kept this eery silence all the way up to the Owelry. One of the owls hooted as he saw us, and zoomed down and landed on Malfoy's shoulder. So he had a pet owl, huh? Big deal.

Not like I cared whether Malfoy has pet owls or not. I hope his owl brings him dead mice for presents and leave them in his bed.

Another hoot accompanied Malfoy's owl's, and a tawny owl flew down and nibbled me right on my nose. "Hey!" I complained, trying to bat him away. "What kind of greeting is that, huh?"

The owl gave me a look, and I suddenly recognized him. "I know you!" I gasped, "You're the one who delivered my Head Girl letter, aren't you?" The owl hooted again and flapped his wings. "Aw, so cute! I think I'm going to name you! Or do you have a name already? How does...Romeo sound?" I asked, saying the first name that jumped into my mind. Merlin, why was I thinking of _Romeo and Juliet _now?

The owl nodded excitedly.

"Romeo it is! If we could just find you a Juliet!" Romeo nibbled me, this time on my finger. I giggled, until I remembered that Malfoy was there. Oops. He must think I've gone bonkers, speaking to an _owl _like we're the best mates in the world. Well, it's Malfoy we're talking about, so his opinions about me are the least I worry about.

"There, Hermes," Malfoy muttered not far from where I stood, and I watched as the owl took the handful of treats from Malfoy's hand. Who knew he had a caring side to him? And, I'm kind of glad I'm not the one who speaks to owls like that... "There haven't been any naughty students in the Owlery after curfew, have there?" I had to admit that I was quite amazed when Malfoy's owl shook his head. "Good boy," Malfoy acknowledged. "If there were any students, you know what to do, right?"

Hermes the owl hooted reassuringly. I wonder, would he nibble the poor students? Probably not. He might as well screech until the entire school wakes up.

Romeo stared intently at Malfoy, as though he too was expecting owl treats. I, noticing this, apologized hurriedly, "Sorry, Romeo, but I don't have any treats for you." Why would I have treats, when I didn't even own an owl? And no, it's not because we're poor!

Wordlessly, Malfoy reached into his robe pocket and produced a small package. He then, still not speaking, took my hand in his and dumped some of the package's contents into mine. I winced at the feeling of his cold skin against my hand, and then he had pulled away and left a small handful of owl treats in my palm.

I couldn't say anything. I was stunned as I stared blankly at the treats in my hand. Was Malfoy actually acting _friendly_?

Romeo, without further invitation, snatched all the treats at once. I was aware of Malfoy's gaze on me as I scolded Romeo, "Hey! Save some for later, will you? You shouldn't let something so good go to waste!"

"We shouldn't waste any more time here," Malfoy said, while Romeo hooted indignantly at my scolding and flew out of sight. I half-expected him to comment on the poorness of Weasleys (something along the lines of "Only a Weasley would save his food."). But he didn't, which confused me. "There are still a lot of places which need to be patrolled."

"So, Malfoy, the world has already ended and somehow I haven't noticed?" I asked dryly. "I'm not that dense, you know." He clearly looked as if he wanted to speak, but instead turned and left the Owlery without another word. "Ignore me, why don't you?" I yelled after him, annoyed.

I made a big scene about him ignoring me, stomping down the steps with as much noise as possible. But I learned the hard way that this was a mistake, because one second, I'm about to step down, and the next, I find myself falling. "NOO! Someone, help me!" I shrieked with alarm as I lost my footing and began toppling down...down...

And found myself crashing face-first into Malfoy's chest. "When I said 'someone', I didn't mean you, Malfoy," I mumbled into his shirt.

His shirt smelled nice.

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, ROSE WEASLEY? GET YOU HEAD BACK FROM THE CLOUDS!

His chest felt pretty comfortable, too. I wouldn't mind sleeping on it...Now I see why the female population of Hogwarts adored Malfoy so much.

"No!" I shrilled, leaping back from him. I can't turn into one of his fangirls! I mustn't! It's against...it's against the Code of the Weasleys! Does that thing even exist?

"Watch your step next time, Weasley," Malfoy said coolly.

"There won't be a next time!" I retorted, glowering at him. I'm pretty sure my face was bright red, and I'm very glad it was dark, so he wouldn't be able to see my blush.

He pushed past me and resumed our patrol. I made to go after him, but found myself tripping over something. _Again_.

Something furry brushed against my leg, and I couldn't help but let out a yelp of surprise. Malfoy stopped, turned, and asked calmly, "_Now_ what's the matter with you, Weasley?"

Great. I've made a fool of myself in front of Malfoy. Yet again. What is wrong with me? "T-There's something f-furry down there," I stammered.

Sighing, Malfoy pulled out his wand and said, "_Lumos_." He shined his wand down to where I pointed, revealing a certain custodian's favorite feline.

"It's just Ms. Norris," Malfoy said. Ms. Norris is Filch's latest pet cat after Mrs. Norris supposedly ran away after the Battle of Hogwarts all those years ago. I don't blame her for wanting to escape that horrid man. It's just a rumor, though.

"Oh..." I trailed off, letting out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Now I feel even more like an idiot. "Er, that's fine, I guess..."

I bet none of his girlfriends are scaredy cats.

Bloody Malfoy and his bloody perfection problem. How can he be wonderful at _everything_? He's inhumane! He could even be an alien from outer space, who took the place of the real Malfoy back when he was born. Yes, that must be why he's so bloody good at everything! There's no way an ordinary human can be perfect. Even _I _can't, and I've worked so hard for the past six years.

How am I supposed to beat Malfoy?

The rest of the patrol past rather uneventfully, unless, of course, counting the fact that I tripped and fell a couple more times. Malfoy simply stood and watched me with an amused expression every time I pushed myself back up.

How dare he!

As I silently fumed, Malfoy stopped ahead of me, causing me to collide into his back.

I hadn't noticed how time passed so quickly while I was with Malfoy, because all of a sudden we're outside the Gryffindor tower again. The Fat Lady dozed in her portrait.

"Well, I'll see you again tomorrow night," he said gruffly before disappearing into the darkness. Almost out of habit, I took a step in the direction he'd gone, until I reminded myself that I was already where I'm supposed to be.

"How long are you going to stand there and smile like that?" The Fat Lady's voice interrupted me.

Was I smiling? I really don't know, but somehow, Malfoy's words left a warm, fuzzy feeling within me, like I've just drank a whole bottle of butterbeer. "Sorry," I told the Fat Lady. "I'm coming in. Diddlenin," I added the password, and the portrait swung aside.

Al was still awake as I collapsed into the armchair next to his. "Well? How'd it go?" he prompted.

"Terrible," I answered at once. "Al, why is my life so horrid? Why am I stuck with someone like Malfoy?"

"Because Merlin hates us all," Al declared.

I doubt Merlin would make us suffer. "Really, now. I'm serious."

"No, you're not Sirius. You're Rosie," said Al, making one of many classic Sirius Black jokes. We've heard plenty of stories about Uncle Harry's godfather, and sometimes I wish I could go back in time and meet such a brilliant man.

I wasn't in the mood to argue with Al, so I grumbled, "Yeah, whatever..." Then, recalling what happened earlier, I hesitantly asked, "Hey, Al? Do we have a Code of some sort?"

Al stared at me. "Why would you ask that, Rosie?"

"I'm just saying...I'm just saying..." Wait, _what_ am I just saying, exactly? Was I trying to ask Al why I hated Malfoy so much? "I'm just saying...that I hate Malfoy...?" I finished lamely, earning a weird look from Al.

"He is Malfoy, isn't he? And us Potters and Weasleys just hate him."

_He's not that bad_, I wanted to say, but why would I jump to Malfoy's defense in the first place? "Al, remember what Dad said when we first started at Hogwarts?"

Al closed his eyes in concentration, and finally quoted, "'So that's little Scorpius. Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains'...was that it?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Then Mum had added, 'Ron, for heaven's sake. Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!' Hold on, come to think of it, I'm sad to say that I've never beaten him, not even _once_. He always somehow ends up getting a better score than me!" **  
**

"Er, and why exactly are we reminiscing our childhood days, Rosie? Especially about_ Malfoy, of all people_?"

"Wait a minute...Mum never said we had to hate each other, did she? I mean, she said to Dad not to turn us against each other before school started, which means she didn't mind if we didn't hate each other, right?" I asked, a light bulb flashing in my mind.

"Yes, go on," Al prompted.

I grinned, already liking the brilliant plan forming in my head. "In that case, I'll become Malfoy's friend!"

"Rosie, I don't think that's the best idea. I don't think you ought to waltz up to him and be all like, 'Hey, Malfoy, be my friend! My parents inadvertently said I could be friends with you! I want to piss off my Dad so we should be friends instead of ignoring each other like we're contagious diseases!" Al said, finishing off his sentence in a ridiculously high voice.

I slapped his arm. "Al, I do not sound like that! I'm just saying that I'll beat him, this once, by becoming Scorpius Malfoy's best friend!"

"I'm sure he already has a best friend, Rosie. What I think you should do, is—" at this, he paused, and I leaned forward eagerly. "—is go to the Hospital Wing and ask for a fever-reducing potion."

"Al!" I cried. "I do not have a fever! Ugh, you're hopeless to talk to! I'm going to bed!"

Packing up my books, I shot him a glare before I stormed up the staircase into the girls' dorm. That's when I heard his voice, barely audible, say, "Beating Malfoy by becoming his friend, eh? It's certainly something _he _won't come up with. That might just work..."

Of course it'll work. I, Rose Weasley, will become Scorpius Malfoy's friend if it's the last thing I do. I can't beat him with academics? Fine, I simply have to beat him another way.

I just hope it's worth it.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I am no JK Rowling. Therefore, I do not own Harry Potter.**

**I'm slowly working my way through these stories! And your reviews are what motivate me to continue, so I must thank each and every one of you for commenting! **

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